The Journal
by m4x70r
Summary: 2.5 ABY. An Imperial Ensign, fresh out of the Academy, arrives at his new posting aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer. When he finds a secret journal hidden on board the ship, he sets out to find the original author. The ensign soon discovers that digging up the secrets of the Journal is both dangerous and deadly.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a Fan-Fiction Based on Star Wars. I do not own Star Wars or represent it's owners (LucasFilm) in FanFic is Not For Profit so please don't sue!_

_Please read and review! I would love to hear what others think of this story!_

2.5 ABY

The Journal: Chapter One

Ensign Travis Folen , nervously tapping his foot, sits alone in the aft passenger compartment of a Lambda Class Imperial Shuttle. He has just received his first Commission Assignment after graduating from the Imperial Academy on Carida. He looks down at the official letter again, part of him in disbelief at the prestigious honor of his assignment, he checks to make sure he is on the right Shuttle. His eyes dart over the document and focus on one specific section.

"Ensign Travis Folen, report immediately to the ISD Dark Star for duty. You will be tasked with Support and Relief Command of the Ventral Side Turbolaser Control Station Two and its Control Team effective immediately. This Officer will carefully and diligently discharge the duties of the Command he is assigned, performing all manner of things thereunto belonging…."

He takes a deep breath. It is a great honor to be stationed on board an Imperial Class Star Destroyer at any point in an Officers career, let alone right off the bat after graduation. Travis rubs his forehead to dull the headache left over from the celebration his classmates insisted upon him the night before. He worries about how obvious his hangover will be to his new shipmates when he arrives.

Most of his fellow graduates have been sent to various outposts and small patrol Frigates. Not a single one of them was left untouched by jealousy over his fortunate first posting. No one else in his class was given an assignment on board a Star Destroyer. He recalls the words his friend, fellow classmate and now fellow Officer in the Imperial Navy, Ensign Corran Skyblade, said when he first heard the news.

"You lucky SOB! You do us proud out there. Your success will reflect on all of us. You do well, and we do well. You screw up, and we'll all pay the price!"

No pressure, certainly not. Travis sinks a bit in his seat. He feels the ship rumble slightly as the blue glow from the cockpit fades. They have dropped from Hyperspace. He leans over and tries to steal a glance out the front viewports of the cockpit. All he sees is space. Maybe they haven't arrived yet. As the Shuttle turns a few degrees to Port, he suddenly see's his new home.

The wedge shape of the Star Destroyer Dark Star, naval grey, its hull bristling with a thousand lights, it grows in size as they approach and Travis feels his heart skip a beat. It's really happening. He tries to breath slowly to calm himself but the excitement is overwhelming. He bites his cheek to distract himself.

"_It's just a job Travis, just focus on your duties!"_ He tells himself.

The ship shutters slightly as the flight stabilizers fold into landing position. Outside the viewport Travis can see the docking bay. He tries to see the Ventral Side Turbo Laser Batteries, his new station, but they are not visible from his vantage. He sits back in his seat and tries his best to remain patient. As the ship touches down, he has to keep his seat belt on just to keep from trying to leap out of the boarding ramp hatch as it slowly opens. When the ramp finally comes to a stop against the deck of the Shuttle Bay, one of the pilots yells from the cockpit.

"We're here Ensign. You'd better not keep the Lieutenant waiting!"

Travis quickly unbuckles his seat belt and grabs his pack from the seat beside him. He slings it over his shoulder, straightens his black tunic and heads for the boarding ramp.

"Thanks for the smooth flight Sir!" Travis says to the cockpit as he heads down the ramp.

At the bottom of the ramp he sees the jet black leather boots of an Officer. As he reaches the end of the ramp he can see the man before him is wearing the gray-green tunic of a Command Officer, his rank insignia identifies him as a Lieutenant. Travis puts his bag down and salutes.

"Ensign Travis Folen, reporting for duty."

The Lieutenant stares at him, and then slowly looks him up and down. Travis remains till and stares straight ahead holding his salute. He wants to look around the massive Shuttle Bay, it's the largest one he's ever been in, but he figures he'll have plenty of time to get his sightseeing bug appeased.

"Welcome aboard the Dark Star Ensign." The Lieutenant says, "At ease before you hurt yourself."

Travis drops his salute and folds his hands behind his back.

"I'm Lieutenant Jeet Dorien, Command Officer of Ventral Side Turbolaser Control Station Two. You're colleague Ensign Nevran couldn't be here to greet you, she's holding down the fort so to speak, you'll get to meet her later. I assume you've been briefed on your duties?" Lieutenant Dorien asks.

"Briefly sir." Travis replies. "I will be one of your relief Officers in the Turbolaser Control Station."

"Correct." Lieutenant Dorien says. "You'll have the night shift, and provide support Command during any tactical operations. But before we get into that we had better take you up to the bridge to meet the XO. Follow me."

Travis quickly picks up his pack and hurries after the Lieutenant.

"The Bridge?" Travis says to himself. He suddenly finds himself self conscience about his hangover. "Damn it guys, you'll get me discharged on my first day!"

The Lieutenant enters a hallway with Travis right behind him. They pass by several other Lieutenants and Travis briefly makes eye contact. He quickly salutes. The Officers give him a strange look as they pass.

"Ensign." Lieutenant Dorien says as he comes to a stop, Travis stops suddenly to avoid walking right into him. "There's 30,000 men and women on board the Dark Star, a good deal of them outrank you. Stop making eye contact. It'll take 2 months to reach the bridge if you salute everyone along the way. Just focus on the task at hand "Get to the bridge". Got it?"

Travis feels like such an idiot. His curiosity is getting the better of him. He's starting to feel like his chance for a good first impression is falling apart at the seams.

"Yes sir." Travis says with a quick nod.

Lieutenant Dorien continues down the hallway. As they pass by more crewmen and officers Travis looks far past them avoiding eye contact at all costs. The pair approaches a turbolift and the Lieutenant hits the call button. They wait there for a few moments.

"Permission to speak freely sir?" Travis says, he tries his best not to fumble the words.

"Granted." The Lieutenant says, his eyes remain fixed on the turbolift level indicator above the doors, watching as the lift gets closer.

"How long have you been on board the Dark Star sir?" Travis asks.

"About 2 years. I came on board a year after the loss of the Death Star." Dorien says.

The lift arrives and the doors open, inside are several crewmen, they smile and nod at the Lieutenant who steps in and seems to ignore them. They then nod at Travis. Travis smiles at them before stepping in. The ride up to the Command Deck is uncomfortably quiet for Travis but he decides it's best to just keep his focus and keep quiet. When the lift finally arrives, all 4 passengers step out. Travis follows Lieutenant Dorien towards the bridge. As they enter, Travis cannot keep his eyes from wandering, scanning every amazing sight before him, he doesn't see the First Officer approach them.

"Good morning Commander Tydon. We have a new Officer on board today." Lieutenant Dorien says as he looks over to Travis.

Travis quickly puts his pack down and salutes the Commander. The Commander has an obvious aura of confidence in him, and he holds a small lock box in his hands.

"Good Morning Commander. Ensign Travis Folen reporting for duty." Travis says holding his salute firm.

The Commander looks at Travis and smiles.

"Welcome aboard Ensign, at ease." Commander Tydon replies as Travis drops his salute. "So as you know you will be reporting directly to Lieutenant Dorien here, and he in turn reports to me. We can try to set some time aside to get better acquainted at a later time, but for now we need to get you ready for your duties."

Tydon opens the lockbox he holds and pulls out two Code Cylinders, he hands them to Travis.

"These are your Code Cylinders. Do not lose them. Do not lend them to others. You are responsible for their remaining secure in your possession at all times." Commander Tydon says.

Travis takes the Code Cylinders and puts one in each of the Code Cylinder pockets on either side of the chest flap on his black Officers Tunic.

"And this…" Tydon says as he removes a black officer's cap from the box, it has an Officers Disk embedded in the center of the cap. "This is your Dark Star Officers Disk equipped cap. This will allow you access to all areas of the ship you are permitted to enter."

Tydon hands the hat to Travis. Travis removes the simple, diskless cap he is wearing and puts on the new one. He quickly folds the old hat in half and places it behind his belt in the small of his back.

"You've been issued quarters on level 23, in the Junior Officers section. If you ever get lost don't hesitate to use one of the directories at any computer Terminal. Getting lost will never be accepted as an excuse for tardiness. That's your only warning." Commander Tydon says. "I would introduce you to the Captain but he is unavailable right now. Perhaps another time. Welcome aboard and good luck."

Commander Tydon nods, Travis gives him a quick salute and watches as the Commander turns and heads back to the front of the bridge.

"Let's go." Lieutenant Dorien says as he heads off the bridge. Travis picks his pack up again and chases after him.

The Lieutenant remains silent as they board another Turbolift and make their way down to level 23. Travis counts the deck as they descend. When they arrive Travis follows the Lieutenant out and into the corridor. The deck is far more crowded than any area of the ship they've seen so far.

"This deck houses all the Junior Commissioned Officers. You won't have to bother saluting so much down here." Lieutenant Dorien says with a smile as he looks back at Travis.

"Yes sir." Travis responds with a smile, he's sure the Lieutenant can see the blood rushing to his cheeks in his embarrassment.

"Unless of course you wanted to start asking which of these guys graduated before you?" Dorien sarcastically asks.

"No sir." Travis says with a light laugh.

The Lieutenant reaches a doorway and stops, above the door is a small plaque. It reads. "Ensign T. Folen."

"This is you. You're not on duty tonight so take your time getting settled." Lieutenant Dorien says. "The mess hall is on Level 35 and chow is available anytime between 0530 and 2200 so long as you're not on duty. Don't forget on Imperial Ships the decks count up going down from the bridge. Don't try to take the lift up or you'll end up in a secured area and I'll have to come get you out of the brig. You have a personal terminal in your quarters, use it to get familiar with the layout of the ship and find directions to the Ventral Side Turbo Laser Control Stations. Any questions?"

"No sir." Travis says as he looks at the door plaque with his name and smiles.

"Report for duty at 1700 tomorrow, I want to introduce you to your team and get you up to speed on our system before your shift. Come well rested. See you then." Lieutenant Dorien says as he nods, turns and walks away.

Travis watches the Lieutenant weaving through the small crowd of other Ensigns milling about the corridor. Travis turns, hits the control for the door, and enters his quarters. They are not the largest quarters but they are bigger than his dorm back at the Academy, and here he doesn't have roommates. The room is about 4 meters by 6 meters. There is a small single person bed in the corner, next to a small desk with a computer terminal on top and a small wheeled chair underneath. The walls are flat grey, like the rest of the ship, and the lights are embedded in the ceiling casting a soft glow throughout the room. On the far wall across from the desk is a small closet and beside it a small door. Travis heads to the door and it opens as he nears. It's is a very small washroom, with a sonic shower, small sink and toilet. Travis turns and tosses his pack on the bed, removing the seat from under the desk he sits down. He looks around his room and takes a deep breath.

"Well, I'm home."

On the underside of the Star Destroyer Dark Star, mounted at the forward most point of the Docking Bay are the two Ventral Side Turbo Laser Batteries. Inside of each of them are their control stations.

The inside of Control Station Two is separated into two levels, a Command chair sits at the middle console on the upper deck overlooking the whole of the control station. Beside the Command Station on the right side is the Fire Controlman's station currently manned by Petty Officer Erran Cormin. Below the Command level reachable by small access ladders on either end of the Command Level, is the Turbo Laser firing deck, where the Gunners Mate stations are located, currently manned by Crewman Callista Redd and Crewman Wolan Alder. There is a large angled viewport on the far wall across from the Command Station level looking out into space and providing a view of the firing arch of the Turbolaser battery, the large barrels of the XXY-9 Dual Medium Turbolasers take up a small part of the view. The entire TurboLaser Control Station is attached to the ship by a circular hydraulic gear that rotates 360 degrees with relation to the ship. A small access lift descends into the Control Station Command Level from an access Corridor in the ship above.

Ensign Dayana Nevran is sitting in the Command chair filling out reports. Below her, she can hear the Gunners Mates joking with one another.

"I bet you can't hit that asteroid at 45 degrees." Crewman Callista Redd says to her fellow Gunners Mate, pointing a small blip on his console.

"I bet you I can!" Crewman Wolam Alder says. "Permission to fire on enemy target bearing 45 degrees?"

Ensign Nevran shakes her head at her station and frowns with annoyance.

"Don't even think about it." Ensign Nevran says to the crewmen below without looking up from her reports.

"It may pose a danger to the ship sir, we should definitely consider shooting it." Wolam says with a smile.

"I'm glad you two have so much free time to fool around, but I have some reports to do, so if you'd please just play quietly amongst yourselves, I can do my job." Ensign Nevran says as she leans over and looks down at the Crewmen below.

"Yes sir. Sorry sir." Wolam says. He turns and lightly slaps Callista on the shoulder. "You got me in trouble!"

"I did nothing of the sort." Callista says as she holds back a laugh. "You hear we're getting a new Ensign today?"

"Oh yeah, finally Lieutenant Dorien and Ensign Nevran can get some free time. These 12 hour shifts are killer." Wolam says.

"Maybe someday they'll get a third shift for the Gunners mates?" Callista suggests.

"Doubt it. Us NCO's aren't so lucky!" Wolam says with a smile.

"Hey if we can pull 12 hour shifts, then why can't our Officers?" Callista asks.

Above them on the Command level, Ensign Nevran shakes her head as she listens in on their conversation. She glances over at Petty Officer Erran Cormin sitting beside her. He shakes his head as well. Eventually Erran leans over.

"Because your Officers have about a hundred times as much work to do than you two Mynoks!" Erran says to the crewmen below.

Callista and Wolam exchange looks and slowly nod as they shrug their shoulders.

"Touche." Wolam says as he returns his attention to his console.

"I wouldn't mind having a hundred times more things to do." Callista says under her breath. "Let's see them stare at this screen for 12 hours with nothing to do."

Wolam leans over closer to Callista.

"Shoot the asteroid. It'll be fun…" Wolam whispers.

"As if!" Callista yells as they both start laughing.

Ensign Nevran sighs silently as she closes her eyes in frustration. She hears the lift behind her descending into the Control Station. She turns to see Lieutenant Dorien approaching.

"Welcome back sir." Ensign Nevran says.

"Thank you Dayana." Dorien says as he nears the console, he looks over the edge at Wolam and Callista below, they are poking each other and laughing quietly to themselves. "The children behaving themselves?"

"Barely." Petty Officer Cormin says from his station.

"Nothing I can't handle Lieutenant." Ensign Nevram says. "You meet our new Officer?"

"Yeah, seems like a nice guy, maybe a bit of an over achiever but he'll fit in I think." Lieutenant Dorien says. "Maybe you can stop by his quarters tonight after your shift. He won't be on duty until tomorrow."

"Maybe I will." Ensign Nevran says. "I remember my first night onboard, it's pretty intimidating and lonely."

"My first night on board I got tossed in the brig!" Wolam says from below.

"That's because you tried to get into the Officers Mess Crewman." Lieutenant Dorien says. "You should've have known better!"

"They could have just asked me to leave!" Wolam says.

"They did ask you to leave! But you just had to take that bread roll off the Ensigns tray before you left didn't you?" Lieutenant Dorien says.

"It looked tasty." Wolam says. "Better than the rolls they give us down in the NCO mess."

Lieutenant Dorien and Ensign Nevran smile as they roll their eyes. Crewman Redd and Alder might be jokers, but they are just kids, barely 18 years old. Despite the constant bickering and joking, they make passing the time that much easier and more enjoyable.

"The new guy is lucky he doesn't have to deal with these two for an entire 12 hour shift. He doesn't know how lucky he is." Ensign Nevran says.

"Well, I'm sure he'll have his own challenges." Lieutenant Dorien says as he looks out the viewport into space. "He is about as green as it gets. Fresh out of the Academy, we'll see if he's in over his head soon enough."


	2. Chapter 2

_This is a Fan-Fiction Based on Star Wars. I do not own Star Wars or represent it's owners (LucasFilm) in FanFic is Not For Profit so please don't sue!_

_Please read and review! I would love to hear what others think of this story!_

The Journal: Chapter TWO

Ensign Travis Folen is alone in his quarters unpacking the personal belongings from his pack. A small speaker on his desk quietly plays a music file from the database. The air on board a Star Destroyer is constantly recycled, and while Imperial Engineers insist that no one can tell that it is not truly "fresh air" Travis believes he can. The lack of windows in the quarters on this deck make it hard for most Junior Officers to fight off the feeling of claustrophobia and for Travis the combination of mildly stale recycled air and being in an enclosed space is starting to take its toll.

Travis walks over to the environmental controls at his personal Computer Terminal. He puts the controls for the in room ventilation to maximum. Above him the vent shakes slightly as the motor spins up. However the rattling does not subside as the vent motor falls into a steady rhythm and Travis takes a deep breath as he tries to calm the annoyance building inside him.

"_State of the art ship, mainstay of the Imperial Fleet and their air conditioning system still rattles?" _Travis says to himself.

He stands up on top on his bed and reaches up to unscrew the ventilation cover to see what's causing the rattling. As he removes the last latch, removing the cover and placing it on the bed, he spots the source of the noise. A small black book is inside the duct and resting against the side of the duct wall. He cocks his head slightly when he spots it. He removes it and drops to the bed below landing in a seated position.

He runs a hand along the smooth leather cover over the embroidered initials "V.V."

Travis opens the small book and spots a small note written on the inside of the cover.

"To my beautiful V, may this journal offer you comfort amongst the stars." –Mom

Travis considers the implications of reading the journal, a blatant violation of privacy, but then he also wonders who would leave their journal hidden in these quarters in the first place? Maybe the owner forgot about it? He assumes the previous owner was likely an Ensign who was assigned these quarters before he arrived. He convinces himself that reading a single entry might help him determine who the owner is in the hopes of returning it. He opens the first page and looks at the date of the entry.

"1-13-2ABY"

"_This was only seven months ago…"_ Travis says quietly to himself.

"Entry 1:

I'm not very good at this. I've never been one for keeping a diary so hopefully I'm doing this right. I suppose it doesn't matter since no one will read this anyway! Where to start? I've just arrived on board the Dark Star about a week ago. It's been really busy getting settled and I finally got around to unpacking, just to find this journal waiting for me in my bag. Seems as though mother snuck it in before I left Talus…"

"_Ok so this person is from Talus. Not really much to go off of."_ Travis says as he slowly nods his head.

"…but at least her gift was sweet whereas the gift my little brother decided to sneak into my bag was not. It seems his obsession with insects continues! He decided to send me on my way with a parting gift of several dead Sand Beatles. Yuck! Someday when he gets older I will get my revenge by telling all of his girlfriends about the times he would wet his bed! That's one of the best parts about being a big sister, you get to torture your little brother in all sorts of devious ways!..."

"_Ah, so it's a woman. That should narrow it down."_ Travis says with a smile.

"…"To be honest though I do miss him, and my parents. I knew it would be hard to leave everyone behind but I just had to join up. The academy taught me the importance of the Empire, and the opportunity to serve was a no brainer for me. Father wasn't so thrilled but it was my choice and even though he didn't agree with the mission of the Imperial navy I hope I have made him proud none the less. I'll never forget that smile on his face when he first saw me in my uniform.

Well, duty calls, I have to get down to the docking bay before my Lieutenant decides to reprimand me! Hopefully I'll keep writing! V-"

Travis sits back against the wall and closes the journal. Not a lot of clues to go off here. Maybe someone on this deck knew who was in these quarters before him. It's worth a shot at least. Travis stands up, he puts the journal on the desk and heads for the door. As he steps out he looks around the corridor. It's far less crowded than before. Perhaps earlier was a shift change he considers. He spots two male Ensigns walking in his general direction. He approaches them.

"Hello. I'm Travis Folen." Travis says as he extends his hand to them. "I just arrived on board today."

The two Ensigns stop and smile at him, one takes his hand and shakes it.

"Hey there Travis, I'm Ensign Vic Morall, and this is Ensign Tomax Walsh." Ensign Morall says as he motions his head to his friend beside him.

"Good to meet you guys." Travis says as he shakes Ensign Walsh's hand as well.

"Where's your post?" Walsh asks.

"I'm a relief officer for the Ventral Turbolaser Batteries." Travis says as he folds his hands together behind his back. "What about you guys?"

"I'm an Aviation Maintenance Duty Officer. I work down in the maintenance bays under Commander Lousen, supervising the repair teams for the TIE Fighters." Morall says.

"I work in Stellar Cartography as a supervisor, programming navigation courses and charting stellar phenomenon." Walsh says.

"What he means to say is he doesn't do anything." Morall says with a laugh as he leans towards Travis.

"Whatever Vic, it's pretty busy down there!" Walsh insists.

"Tomax, you and I know the Nav Computer can do your entire departments duties and we wouldn't even notice the difference." Morall says.

"Whatever…" Walsh says as he shakes his head and looks away.

It's clear these two have had this debate before and Ensign Walsh is not in the mood. Travis decides to change topics.

"You guys know who was in that room before me?" Travis says as he points to the door to his quarters.

"Hmm, 34? No, I don't think I've seen anyone in that room for months." Morall says.

"Some girl was in there a while ago, but I don't know her name. I think she got transferred or something." Walsh says.

"Why? They leave a mess for you in there?" Morall asks.

"No nothing like that, just curious." Travis says.

Behind them a female Ensign is approaching. Her dark brown hair is wrapped tightly under her officer's cap, her figure is slender but fit and all three of the men look at her as she passes. Travis's heart skips a beat momentarily when she stops at the door to his quarters and hits the call button.

"That her Walsh?" Morall asks quietly.

"No, I don't know who that is." Walsh whispers back.

"I'll see you guys around." Travis says as he nods at Walsh and Morall then turns around and approaches his visitor.

Ensigns Walsh and Morall smile at Travis and continue making their way down the corridor. As Travis approaches the unexpected guest she turns to face him.

"Can I help you?" Travis asks as he approaches.

"I'm looking for Ensign Folen." The female Ensign says.

"You've just found him." Travis says with a smile.

The female ensign smiles back at him. Travis notices the small muscles around her eyes squint ever so slightly with her smile, her eyes are a deep blue, and Travis can feel himself being pulled into them as they look at him. She is beautiful and Travis has to push the thought aside for the moment. He's been on board for less than a day, there's simply no time for him to become infatuated with a beautiful girl.

"I'm Ensign Dayana Nevran." Nevran says. "I'm going to be working with you in the Ventral Turbolaser Battery. "

Travis suddenly feels a wave of strange emotion sweep over him, a mix of relief and dread.

He's unsure whether the fact he'll get a chance to work with Nevran is a blessing or a curse. Will he end up head over heels for her? Travis has a bad habit of falling for girls far too quickly, something that has blown up in his face more than once, but he's always been fortunate to not have the fallout carry over into his professional life. This would be different. He'll have to do his best to see her simply as a fellow officer, keep his distance so to speak, and refrain from getting too close to her.

"It's very good to meet you Ensign Nevran." Travis says as he extends a hand to her.

"Call me Dayana." Nevran says as she takes his hand and shakes it. "I'm not on duty right now. I was wondering if you'd had a chance to eat yet? If not I can show you down to the Officers Mess?"

"I'd love to." Travis says. Inside he's realizing keeping distance from this one might be more difficult than he thought.

As they make their way to the Turbolift Travis makes a strong effort to avoid looking at her, he glances around the corridor instead.

"Nervous?" Nevran asks.

"I'm sorry?" Travis says as he turns from his wandering gaze to meet her eyes looking at him again.

"You seem nervous." Nevran says. "I know it can be intimidating, your first day on board, but it'll be fine. You'll get the hang of things pretty quickly."

"Oh yes, I hope so." Travis replies with a smile and quick nod.

"_Great now she just thinks I'm a nervous Ensign who's intimated by the big bad ship."_ Travis thinks to himself. If his brother were here he'd punch him in the arm for being such a fool.

As they enter the Turbolift, Ensign Nevran hits the button for deck 35. The doors close and the lift starts moving. The inertial dampeners work well and the two barely feel the sudden acceleration.

"So, tell me about our team." Travis says.

"Well, there are a total of 9 crewmen and officers in each of the ventral side Turbolaser Battery Control Stations." Nevran explains. Travis watches as her hands move around and gesture forms for her words as she says them. "You've met Lieutenant Dorien. He's our CO of course. Then there's you and I. The Fire Controlmen. Petty Officer Nom Onasi and Petty Officer Erran Cormin. Then there's the Gunners mates. Crewmen Arix Longstar and Alluria Creel. Those are the two that will be on during your shift. And then of course there's the children."

"The children?" Travis asks as he cocks his head, his eyes squint under furrowed brows.

"Yes, Crewmen Callista Redd and Wolam Alder." Nevran says. Her hands seem to reach out and choke invisible necks. "They're the Gunner's Mates that I get to deal during my shift. They are so immature. Lieutenant Dorien seems to like them though. He says they "lighten the mood" or something. It takes all I have not to deck them right in the face!"

Travis leans back as Ensign Nevran throws a fast punch at another invisible imaginary foe.

"But you won't really have to worry about them." Nevran says with a smile as she turns to Travis. "Lieutenant Dorien says I'm over reacting."

"So many names, I hope I don't forget any." Travis says as he turns away from Ensign Nevrans eyes.

"Ah yes. It' took me a while too." Ensgin Nevran says. "But you'll be fine. Fortunately you can get away with calling most of our team "crewman"."

"That's true." Travis says as he slowly nods his head.

"Oh and I almost forgot." Ensign Nevran says as she excitedly waves her finger. "There's also our Damage Controlman, Crewman Olan Nafeel. Though technically he works in both stations 1 and 2. So we only see him half the time. He sort of comes and goes as the maintenance needs arise."

The lift arrives at deck 35 and the doors open. Travis looks around and realizes the trip seemed to take longer than expected. He has already gotten so lost in the sweet sound of Ensign Nevrans voice that he wasn't paying attention to the proper passage of time. In all likelihood though, the seemingly long trip was probably more to do with the fact that Ensign Nevran talks really fast.

"Here we are, come on." Nevran says as she exits the lift in a fast walk. Travis does his best to keep up with her pace.

The Ensigns get into a small line behind several other junior Officers. Eventually they reach the food service trays where small selections of various dishes are available. Travis recognizes a few of the items and decides to stick to those instead of trying his luck with something new. He picks up a small carton of blue milk as he reaches the end of the service line. The Ensigns pass through a small doorway to the seating area, overhead a small sensor detects the Ensigns identity through a scan of the Officers Disk in their caps. It beeps as they pass and automatically tracks their food selections in the weekly allotment database. Travis looks at the scanner as they pass.

"What happens if I run out of my allotted rations?" Travis asks as he follows Ensign Nevran to a table nearby.

"Then you'll be eating the slop they give the NCO's." Nevran says with a smile. "But don't worry, unless you eat five times a day you're unlikely to go over your allocation."

Travis sits down across from Ensign Nevran. She smiles at him and he quickly looks down to his food.

"Do you know who had the quarters I'm in? Before I arrived that is?" Travis asks as he takes a small spoon full of the mashed Topato's on his tray.

"No sorry. My quarters are on deck 24. I don't know anyone on your level." Nevram says as she sips on her coffee. "Why do you ask?"

"I found an old personal item in my quarters. I was hoping to return it to the owner." Travis says as he looks around the mess hall. There are about 15 other Officers currently dining.

"What's the item?" Nevran asks.

"Just a book, nothing special." Travis responds deflecting the question. "Do Ensigns have access to the crew manifest database? Maybe I can track them down."

"Basic access yes. It may be your best bet. You could always ask Lieutenant Dorien to find out for you also." Nevran says.

"It's not really a big deal. Don't worry about." Travis says. "So how long have you been on board the Dark Star Ensign?"

"Dayana." Nevran says.

"I'm sorry. Dayana. How long have you been on board?" Travis says with a smile.

"About 6 months now." Nevran says as she takes a bite of a strange purple soup from her tray. "So far it's been smooth sailing. Not a whole lot of action. But I hear Lord Vader has the fleet deployed all over the galaxy now, looking for the Rebels. I hope we end up being the ones to find them. Would be a nice change of pace to see some action down there."

"Well hope you don't mind but I'm hoping we don't see action until I get my bearings." Travis says with a laugh.

"You've got one week sailor." Nevran says, her eyes stare at Travis. "Then you're on your own, action or not."

They both share a laugh. They spend another hour chatting in the mess hall before Travis asks Ensign Nevran if he can escort her back to her quarters. She declines and they say their goodnights on the lift when Travis gets off at level 23.

Ensign Nevrans beautiful smile is dominating his thoughts as he slowly strolls down the empty corridor back towards his room. He realizes he is already falling for her and shakes his head as he tries to clear his mind. When he reaches his quarters he enters. The door closes behind him. The music is still playing from the small speaker and the Journal is still on his desk. He sits down at the desk, picks up the journal and opens it up.

"Entry 2:

So far so good! It's been about a week since I wrote my previous entry. Things are going really well on the Dark Star. I've met a lot of great people. My Lieutenant told me I was very pretty today. Normally I would be concerned since he's my commanding officer and all but it felt sincere and honest. For now I'll just enjoy the boost to my ego.

Today we had an Imperial Dignitary come aboard on a Lambda Class Shuttle, I never learned who just that it was a Moff. It was my first real experience at running the docking procedure. I was really nervous but the Lieutenant was really helpful and everything went smooth. Its very nerve racking knowing that yours is the voice of the ship, when talking to ships docking with the Dark Star! Fortunately father taught me how to put on a serious voice when I need to.

I met a nice guy today too. An Ensign from Engineering. We had dinner in the mess hall and stayed there for 3 hours talking! He listened to all my stories from home and then told me about his home. Turns out he comes from an ocean world! I told him I was a pretty good swimmer and that I was on the swim team back at the academy. He's challenged me to a race later this week. I know he'll be faster than me but it should be fun. I didn't even know they had a pool on Star Destroyers. He told me it's for the ground troopers to train in aquatic environments. I asked how he would get access to that facility but he told me its better that i don't know all the details. How devious! Anyway, just wanted to say, everything's great! V-"

Travis leans back in the chair. Still not a lot to go on. Initials, gender, home world and general date that the journal was written. He turns on his terminal and starts browsing through the ships manifest database.

Right off the bat he finds 863 Officers with the initials V.V. After eliminating the males, he's left with 402. Eliminating the Senior Officers above Lieutenant he gets it down to 180. Unfortunately the information in the database is limited and doesn't specify date of arrival on the Dark Star or Home Planet, at least not with Travis's access. 180 is not a horrible start but that's still a lot of V.V.'s to sift through. He'd have to keep reading if he really wanted answers. But not tonight. It's been a long day and his eyes are getting heavy.

Travis puts the journal in the drawer of his desk then turns to look at his bed. The vent cover is still on his bed from earlier. He leans down and picks it up. Suddenly he notices a small data disc taped to the inside of the cover. He removes it.

It's a standard datadisc, used all over the Empire. He puts it on the desk and stands up on the bed and returns the vent cover to its proper location. As he gets off the bed he sits back down at the desk and puts the datadisc in his computer terminal. A prompt appears on the screen.

"Enter Access Code:_"

Travis sits there for a moment. Unsure what may be on the disc, and having absolutely no clue with which to base a guess at a pass code he removes the disc and puts it in the drawer next to the journal. His eyes are heavier now and he decides to leave the mystery for another day. He quickly changes out of his uniform and gets into some sleep wear. As he settles into the bed, he cannot help but day dream of Ensign Nevrans eyes as he drifts of to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_This is a Fan-Fiction Based on Star Wars. I do not own Star Wars or represent it's owners (LucasFilm) in FanFic is Not For Profit so please don't sue!_

_Please read and review! I would love to hear what others think of this story!_

The Journal: Chapter THREE

It was a late start for Ensign Travis Folen today. Lieutenant Dorien doesn't want him to his post until 17:00 so he figured he'd need all the sleep he could get. He finally got up around 11:00 and went down to the mess hall for morning chow. Hoping to get some exercise in he ate quickly and didn't try to socialize or introduce himself to anyone today. He finally got down to the Officers Fitness Gymnasium around 13:00. He stopped by the commissary beforehand and bought himself a decent pair of track pants and an imperial logo tank top and is now jogging around a small track that runs around the edge of a Scoopball court. Various other Officers are using the facilities but Travis's mind is lost in thoughts about the journal he has found in his room.

"_I really should have just turned the damn thing into lost and found."_ He tells himself as he shakes his head. He knows that now that he's started reading it, it's going to be hard to stop.

His heart rate is been up for about 30 minutes now and he decides to slow down. He falls into a fast walk and takes a swig of water from the canister he has hanging from the loop on the side of the track pants. After a few minutes he circles around the track near the entrance to the Gym and makes his way out. There are so many people on board this ship that Travis is convinced he hasn't seen the same face twice since he's arrived. He keeps to himself all the way back to his quarters. He hops in his sonic shower once he returns and get's ready for the day. He spends a few minutes getting into his uniform and checks the time.

"_Almost 15:00…"_ Travis says quietly to himself as he reads the time stamp on his terminal.

Travis takes a seat at his desk and opens the drawer. The journal and the datadisc are right where he left them. He picks up the journal and opens it to the last page he read.

""Entry 3:

I had my swimming race last night! Barret snuck us into the aquatic combat training facilities around 22:00. I totally kicked his butt! I think he let me win though…"

"_Barret eh?"_ Travis says as he removes a small note pad from the desk and writes the name down.

"…Seeing him with his shirt off, I was sure he'd have lapped me three times before I finished my first lap. He was in really good shape and he gave me a serious case of stomach butterflies when he smiled at me while wearing so little. After he let me win, we sat on the edge of the pool and talked for a while. He was a real gentleman though, didn't try anything and I was impressed. Most guys I know would have tried to get physical right away. He walked me back to my quarters and kissed me on the cheek. It was so sweet! He's turning out to be such a softie! Eesla says I'm in love! I try to tell her that's crazy but maybe I am? I'll just have to see where it goes."

"_Eesla. Another name to cross check."_ Travis thinks as he writes the name down as well.

"…Work has been ok, kind of a slow week. Fleet has us doing patrols in the Colundra Sector, so not a lot of traffic going to or from the ship. My CO seems to really like me though and gives me a lot of praises. It feels good to have everything going so well! V-"

Travis puts the journal down and pulls up the crew manifest database. He searches for all Officers on board with a first or last name of "Eesla". 25 results. 2 males and 10 females have the last name "Eesla", and 13 females have "Eesla" as a first name.

"_Well I know it's a female, but I don't know if it's a first or a last name."_ Travis says as he looks at the information. _"Could be a friend of hers or maybe her CO?" _

Travis re-reads the last sentence of the entry. Based on the distinction between referencing Eesla and V's CO it doesn't seem to suggest the same person. Travis clears the search and enters the name "Barret" into the computer. 242 results pop up. Unfortunately with Travis's clearance it doesn't provide information on their department and there's still no telling if it's a first name or last name. Travis leans back in the chair.

"_We know V.V. is a girl."_ Travis thinks. _"We know she is from Talus, has a friend named Eesla, and knows some guy named Barret from Engineering. She came on board about 7 months ago. There's 180 V.V.'s on board that could be our author, at least 23 possible Eesla's and 242 Barrets."_

Travis rubs the bridge of his nose. The clues are there but there's not a whole lot he can figure out on his own.

"_Maybe Dayana was right, I should probably just ask Lieutenant Dorien to help."_ Travis says to himself as he closes the journal and puts it on the desk. _"But not today. I should stop worrying about his and focus on my duties."_

Travis pulls up the ship schematics on the terminal and gets familiar with the Ventral Side Turbolaser Array. Location, operating FOV, power output ect. He spends the next hour and half brushing up on all the pertinent information.

When he finally checks the time again it's nearly 16:40. He gets up and checks himself in the small mirror in his washroom. He straightens his black Officers uniform, secures his Code Cylinders into their pockets, and adjusts his hat. He takes a deep breath as he looks at his reflection.

"Here we go." Travis says aloud as he turns and exits his washroom.

As he heads for the exit to his quarters he glances at the journal on the desk. He decides to take it with him, hiding it behind his belt and under his tunic in the small of his back. He turns and heads towards the exit and leaves his quarters.

He strolls down the corridor with a propped up confidence. He carries himself as if he's been on the ship for years not days. He enters the turbolift and hits the button for level 55, the bottom most deck along the center axis near the main Docking Bay.

The ride is long and various crewmen and officers board and de-board the lift before Travis finally reaches deck 55. However he is still much closer to the stern of the ship than he is to the docking bay section. He gets on a small crew pod that runs along a rail line down the middle of the ship going from stern to bow. He rides it for a few minutes covering a distance of nearly 700 meters before getting off at a stop somewhere near the middle of the ship and close to the front of the main docking bay. There are almost no crewmen walking about in this section of the ship. The corridors are much smaller and less "polished" looking. Pipes and exposed electrical systems can be seen along the walls. Travis makes his way down to a nearby corridor junction. From there he takes an access stairwell to an even smaller corridor. This corridor runs along the outer most hull of the ship inside the main docking bay and as he passes by a small viewport he stops and peers through it.

The view is impressive. This small viewport sits along the forward most point of the main docking bay and sits just above the two Ventral Side Turbo laser Batteries. Travis can see directly across the main Docking Bay to the Main Shuttle bay on the far end. Above him he can see the various access hatches for the TIE Fighter launching bays and various launch bays for other landing craft. Below he can see an endless sky of stars. Travis smiles and nods his head slowly in approval. This sort of thing is exactly why he joined the Imperial Navy. Eventually he turns and continues down the small access corridor until he reaches a small alcove. Above the alcove is a small sign.

"Ventral Turbo Laser Control Station Two"

Travis boards the small lift in the alcove and hits the activation button. As it descends he gets his first look at his new work station. On the first level, the one the lift exits onto, Travis spots two visible work stations both with command chairs. On either side Travis can see access ladders leading to another level below and out of sight. Across from this first level is a large viewport overlooking the barrels of the turbolasers themselves and showing the firing arc of the weapons system. Standing behind the control stations are Lieutenant Dorien and Ensign Nevran, they are both watching as Travis descends. Beside them are two crewmen and as the lift stops, Lieutenant Dorien approaches.

"Welcome to the Ventral Side Turbo Laser Control Station Two, Ensign Folen." Lieutenant Dorien says.

"Thank you sir." Travis says as he steps off the lift. He looks around the room briefly.

"I believe you've already met Ensign Nevran." Dorien says as he holds an arm in Ensign Nevran's general direction. Ensign Nevran is smiling at Travis.

"Yes I have. Good evening Ensign." Travis says with a slight nod of his head.

"Allow me to introduce Petty Officer Nom Onasi, and Petty Officer Erran Cormin." Lieutenant Dorien says as the two crewmen step forward, they each nod as their names are said. "Petty Officer Onasi will be working the night shift and will be your Fire Controlman."

Petty Officer Nom Onasi is a dark skinned human with short curly black hair. He steps closer to Travis and extends a hand to Travis.

"Good to meet you sir." Onasi says as they shake hands.

Travis notices that Onasi's smile is big and very honest. Travis gets the impression that Onasi is honestly happy to meet him.

"Petty Officer Erran Cormin works the day shift and works primarily with Ensign Nevran and I." Lieutenant Dorien says. "Follow me please."

Lieuteant Dorien heads over to one of the small access ladders and climbs down. Travis follows him. Travis looks around the sub-deck, there are various access hatches for maintenance as well as 2 primary turbolaser firing control consoles and 2 smaller auxiliary control consoles. A crewman sits at each station.

"Crewmen, on your feet!" Dorien shouts at the seated crewmen. Each is wearing the typical light grey jump suit. They scramble from their seats and rush to take up a small formation before the Lieutenant and Travis. Two of them are male and the other two are female, and all of them are very young, no older than 18 years of age.

"This is Ensign Folen, he is our new night shift supervisor." Dorien says to the crewmen, they each look at Travis.

"Good evening Ensign Folen." The crewmen say in a poor attempt at speaking in unison. Travis holds back a smile.

"These are our Gunners mates. Going down the line, we have Crewman Callista Redd…"Dorien says as he points to the female on the far left, she smiles and nods at Travis.

"…Crewman Wolam Alder…" Dorien points to the young man standing beside Redd.

"…Crewman Arix Longstar…" Dorien points to the next male.

"…and finally, Crewman Alluria Creel." Dorien points at the female on the other end, she smiles as well.

"Crewmen Redd and Alder work the day shift and thus…" Dorien says as he takes a deep breath. "…Ensign Nevran and I get the joy of commanding them." Travis picks up on the obvious sarcasm in the Lieutenants voice.

"We know how proud of us you are sir!" Crewman Alder says with a big smile. The other crewmen hold back their silent laugher as best they can.

"Yes, indeed I am Wolam." Dorien says with a slight frown. He turns to Travis. "Crewmen Longstar and Creel will be working with you during the night shift."

"We look forward to working under you sir." Crewman Creel says as she bows slightly.

"*cough* Suck up! *cough*" Crewman Redd says under her breath.

"Enough Crewmen, back to your stations!" Lieutenant Dorien says as he shakes his head. The four crewmen rush back to their stations. Dorien turns to Travis.

"Under normal operations you will have one Fire Controlman upstairs with you, and two Gunners Mates down here." Dorien explains. "During any major engagements all four Gunners mates will be down here, two at the primary firing stations and two at the auxiliary stations. You will be down here managing them while Ensign Nevran and I, along with our Fire Controlmen, Petty Officers Onasi and Cormin, work upstairs. In those circumstances it can get crowded and hectic, but we have to have each other's backs, and we have to assist everyone as best we can. Even if that means taking a seat at one of the firing control consoles."

"Yes sir." Travis says.

"Being one of only two turbo laser batteries on the ventral side of the ship, this control station is a prominent target for enemy ships during engagements." Dorien explains. "We do have shielding in this section but nothing is perfect. I won't lie to you, the risks are great down here, but we also form a vital function for the ships battle operations."

Travis listens closely and nods his head as the Lieutenant speaks.

"While the ventral turbo lasers are not meant for planetary bombardments there is a chance we might be called upon to perform one in certain rare circumstances. If for example, the ship gets an emergency request to provide fire support to ground troops, sometimes the ship cannot bring the port or starboard turbolaser batteries into range fast enough. We can't afford to wait for the bridge to call the targets, we must be ready to fire as soon as the order comes down, and as a result we have to anticipate the Captains needs and ensure that our targeting computers have a lock on all targets we deem high risk or high value at all times. That is your primary duty. It'll take some getting used to but luckily Petty Officer Onasi is very good at his job and will be a valuable asset for you."

"Understood sir." Travis says.

"Let's get back up there." Lieutenant Dorien says as he turns back towards the access ladder. He climbs the ladder back up to the command level, Travis follows him. They approach the Command Console.

"Take a seat Ensign." Dorien says as he waves towards the chair before the Command Console.

Travis takes a quick deep breath as he sits down. He suddenly feels nervous. Lieutenant Dorien is standing right behind him, while Ensign Nevran, Petty Officer Onasi and Petty Officer Cormin watch.

"This is the Control Stations Command Console." Lieutenant Dorien explains. "From here, you can monitor all ships exterior operations. You can pull up current speed, trajectory, alert status, sensor data, damage reports, shield status, inbound and outbound traffic, and those sorts of things. Some of this data might seem irrelevant but any of these might become crucial if we are called upon to fire on a target."

"Yes sir." Travis says as he nods his head.

"This weapons platform possess XXY-9 Dual medium-" Dorien begins before Travis interrupts.

"XXY-9 Dual medium turbo lasers with a maximum energy output of 15,000 terajoules. A maximum sustained output of 3,500 terajoules. The entire emplacement is protected by quadanium steel plating and a level 6 shield barrier." Travis says as he pulls up the targeting controls on the console. "The targeting computer can accommodate 35 simultaneous targets to a distance of 100,000 kilometers each. Target lock time is estimated at point six seconds for stationary objects larger than ten square meters and upwards of 2 seconds for ones smaller. It can successfully target objects moving at a relative speed of 70,000 meters per second with targeting delays of less than 10 seconds."

Lieutenant Dorien raises his eyebrows and looks back at Ensign Nevran, she smiles at him.

"Not bad Ensign Folen." Dorien says as he looks back to Travis. "You'll soon learn that knowing the technical data is not the same as knowing the unique characteristics of this specific battery. She has a mind of her own some days. I'm glad you've done your research but don't let that knowledge get in the way of learning the ropes down here. Memorized information is not as practical as it seems."

Travis is slightly embarrassed and feels himself wanting to sink into the seat.

"Ensign Nevran is going to stay with you for a few hours to get you up to speed. Crewmen Redd and Alder are off duty now, as is Petty Officer Cormin. We'll be back in the morning. Good luck you two."

"Thank you sir." Travis says.

The Lieutenant relinquishes command of the Control Station to Ensign Nevran and retires for the night. The Lieutenant, Crewmen Alder and Redd and Petty Officer Cormin all squeeze onto the small lift and ascend into the ship and are gone.

Travis turns to Ensign Nevran as she sits down at the Fire Controlman's station beside him.

"Let's run some drills shall we?" Nevran says, sending a smile towards Travis.

"Sounds good." Travis says as he quickly looks away from her smile. He does his best to resist the blush that is trying to take over his cheeks.

After being pulled from the clouds by Lieutenant Dorien, Travis shields are down, and Nevrans charms will be dangerously effective.

"I'll go supervise the Crewmen while you two work." Petty Officer Onasi says as he heads towards the access stairs and climbs down.

"Thanks Nom." Ensign Nevran says.

"Alright Ensign Folen, let's start off easy…" Nevran says as she punches in some commands on her station, the console before Travis begins to show simulated targets.

The two spend the next hour or so running various drills and Travis feels a growing confidence as he succeeds in every step. Nevran is a good teacher, patient and confident. Fortunately for Travis she doesn't send any dangerous smiles at him the entire time and he is able to concentrate on his work more easily. Eventually they finish the final drill and they both sit back in their seats.

"Not bad Ensign." Ensign Nevran says as she looks over at Travis. "You're picking this up well."

"Thank you." Travis says, he dares to look at Nevran who instantly smiles at him, he manages to return the smile before turning his gaze back to his console.

"I think the Lieutenant likes you." Nevran says.

"Really?" Travis asks. "I didn't get that impression."

"Trust me, I think I know him well enough. He's impressed, even if he doesn't say so." Nevran says, her voice hints at the smile she's sending Travis's way. He tries to ignore it.

"That's good to know." Travis says. He is slowly bringing the entire Turbolaser emplacement around to look over the main docking bay, the room vibrates slightly as the motors turns the entire control station around. Eventually the movement stops and the viewports show a view of the Docking Bay.

"Ensign Nevran, what is that section across the way there?" Travis asks.

Nevran looks out the main viewport. Across from their position on the far end of the main docking bay is an array of lights.

"The array of lights under the Shuttle Bay?" Nevran asks.

"Yes." Travis says as he stares at it.

"That's Docking Bay Launch Control I believe." Nevran says. "Why?"

"Just curious." Travis says. "That's where they manage all inbound and outbound traffic right?"

"Yup." Nevran says as she looks down at the console before her. "It's getting late, I'd love to stay and keep you company on your first night, but I need to be back in here at 11:00. I should definitely head out, but don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions, i'm a light sleeper."

"It's ok. Thanks for all your help getting me settled." Travis says as he stands up with Ensign Nevran. "Goodnight Ensign."

"Dayana." Nevran says.

"I'm sorry?" Travis asks as he slightly cocks his head to the side.

"I'm off duty now Travis." Nevran says. She smiles at Travis again. This time he allows himself to enjoy its beauty and smiles back at her.

"Goodnight Dayana." Travis says.

Nevran turns and makes her way to the small lift. Travis watches at it ascends out of view. He turns back and sits down at the Command Console. He watches the display for a few minutes before looking up at the viewport. He looks across the Docking Port at the Docking Bay Launch Control.

"_That's where V.V. was stationed."_ Travis says to himself. _"I wonder if she still works in there. Heck she might even be in there right now."_

Travis remembers the journal in the small of his back, he reaches through the opening in his uniform and removes it, opening to the last page he read from.

"Entry 4:

It's been a really busy week! There was an industrial accident on Troiken and the Captain has us involved in relief operations. Commander Lousen has gone down to the surface with an engineering detachment to help with repairs of the Xexto's power plant facility. Of course that means Barret had to go with them. I miss him already. Eesla says that's all the proof I need that I've fallen for him. Maybe she's right. Fortunately it's been so busy I haven't had time to really think about it. I've been directing a seemingly endless stream of ships coming and going from the Dark Star! I must have handled at least 40 docking procedures this afternoon alone!

The Lieutenant says I'm doing really well and he continues to give me praise. He's even asked that I be transferred to work the day shift so he and I can work together more closely! Things continue to look up for this Talusian!

-V"

Travis sits back and looks out the viewport again.

"_If her Lieutenant thought so highly of her, then they must certainly be able to tell me who V.V. is. I should make a trip over there soon and see if I can't find her."_ Travis thinks to himself.

He is so lost in thought he doesn't hear Petty Officer Onasi climbing up the access ladder and approaching.

"What's that?" Onasi asks as he sits down beside Travis.

Instinctively Travis closes the book and puts it back in his tunic.

"Pardon?" Travis says as he quickly looks over to Onasi.

"That book." Onasi says with a smile as he turns his gaze to the console before him. "Some light reading to keep you awake?"

Travis isn't sure what to say for the moment.

"It's ok sir, I won't tell on you. Ensign Nevran brings books down her sometimes too. Not a lot to do on the night shift. I don't blame you." Onasi says as he works at his console.

"Yeah, makes sense." Travis says with a nervous laugh. "Thanks."

"No problem." Onasi says.

Travis wants to keep reading from the journal, but he's not willing to share this secret just yet, and he definitely doesn't want Onasi asking any questions. He decides to keep it in his tunic for now. He spends the rest of his shift in what his brother would call "business mode". Every so often he catches himself day dreaming of Dayana's smile.


End file.
